Physical Chemistry for

Engineers – CE1PCE
Session 1: Classical entropy
Video 2

Dr Stephen David Worrall

s.worrall@aston.ac.uk
Phone: 0121 204 3179
Office: MB 136
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Intended Learning Outcomes

After this video you should be able to:

1) Distinguish between spontaneous and non spontaneous processes

using the second law of thermodynamics.

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Second Law of Thermodynamics

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Spontaneity

Some processes happen

spontaneously whilst the reverse
process requires work.

Just because a process is

spontaneous doesn’t mean it WILL
happen.

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Second Law of Thermodynamics

Some property determines which direction of a process is

spontaneous...what is it?

A statement of the second law of thermodynamics made by Lord Kelvin

gives us a clue:

No process
is possible in which the
sole result is the adsorption of heat
from a
reservoir and its complete
conversion into work.

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Second Law of Thermodynamics

The second law of thermodynamics forbids the heat engine on the left
but permits the heat engine on the right.

The first law of thermodynamics would not forbid it as energy would be

conserved. 6
Second Law of Thermodynamics

The permitted heat engine is the one where

the distribution of energy increases.

The spontaneous process is the one that

leads to a dispersal rather than an
accumulation of energy.
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